# Best Bandsaw 2026: 10 Ranked Source: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw Published: 2026-10-11 | Updated: 2026-10-16 | Prices checked on Amazon UK on 2026-10-10 ## Quick answer The best bandsaw for most home workshops is the Scheppach HBS261 at £219, because 130 mm of cut height and a 245 mm throat take furniture timber that nothing cheaper here can swallow. On a budget, the £119 Scheppach HBS25 returns 0.67 mm of cut height per pound, more depth for your money than any other corded saw on this page, including the £398.53 DEWALT at 0.22. Depth per pound turns the order around. The £119 Scheppach HBS25 cuts 80 mm at 0.67 mm per pound, the £219 Scheppach HBS261 cuts 130 mm at 0.59 mm per pound, and the £398.53 DEWALT, which 272 owners rate 4.8, manages 3-3/8 inches (86 mm), or 0.22 mm per pound, and arrives without a battery. The best bandsaw for a home workshop is settled by two numbers, not by watts. Cut height at 90° sets the thickest piece of timber that passes under the blade, and throat width sets how wide a board travels past the column. Motor size, colour and the word professional on the box all come second. The machines here split three ways: compact bench saws with 80 mm of cut height from £109.99, mid-size saws at 115 mm to 130 mm from £199.98, and the cordless and metal-cutting models for work that never reaches a bench. This page works through them in that order. ## The ranking ### 1. Scheppach HBS261 Bandsaw - Price: £219.00 | Amazon rating: 4.1 from 1,434 ratings | ranked10 score: 9.2/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/scheppach-hbs261-bandsaw - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GF9CCXZ?tag=ranked10-21 A compra certa para quem quer o corte mais profundo numa bancada: 130 mm de altura e 245 mm de garganta por 219 £, com duas velocidades de lâmina (720 e 1000 m/min) para madeira dura e mole. Buy this one if you cut boards rather than thin sheet. It takes 130 mm of timber at 90°, the deepest cut on this page, and its 245 mm throat is the widest as well, which is what lets a plank run past the blade instead of stopping halfway. The 550W motor is the strongest on any wood-cutting bench saw here and drives two blade speeds, 720 m/min for hardwood and 1000 m/min for softwood, so you are not stuck with one fixed speed. Depth per pound works out at 0.59 mm per £, far ahead of the £398.53 DEWALT at 0.22 mm per £, and it keeps a 1,790 mm blade running between bearing guides. The trade-off is 22 kg of machine built to be bolted to a bench or a machine stand, so it does not travel around your workshop. If that is a problem, the Scheppach HBS30 at £149 weighs 19 kg and extends its table to 535 x 300 mm, though it gives only 80 mm of cut height. Pros: 130 mm cut height at 90°, the deepest on this page and enough for most furniture timber; 245 mm throat, the widest here, for long planks and wide curved work; Two blade speeds, 720 and 1000 m/min, one for hardwood and one for softwood; 550W, the strongest wood-cutting motor here, against 250W on the £155.98 Einhell; Seven years of spare parts availability, the longest of any brand on this page Cons: 22 kg and designed to be bolted down, so it is not a machine you carry to a job; £100 more than the Scheppach HBS25, which gives 80 mm of cut for £119; 1,434 owners rate it 4.1, below the 4.2 of the two cheaper Scheppach saws ### 2. Scheppach HBS30 Bandsaw - Price: £149.00 | Amazon rating: 4.2 from 1,019 ratings | ranked10 score: 8.9/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/scheppach-hbs30-bandsaw - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0819TYZHB?tag=ranked10-21 Ideal para uma oficina pequena que precisa de largura e nao so de profundidade: a mesa de 300 x 300 mm estende-se ate 535 x 300 mm, o que mantem tabuas compridas apoiadas durante o corte. This suits anyone cutting boards to length on a narrow bench. The table starts at 300 x 300 mm and extends to 535 x 300 mm, so a length of skirting or shelving keeps proper support right through the cut. Cut height is 80 mm at 90° with a 200 mm throat, and the 350W motor runs the blade at 900 m/min. Depth per pound is 0.54 mm per £ at £149, behind the £119 Scheppach HBS25 at 0.67 mm per £ and well ahead of the £398.53 DEWALT at 0.22 mm per £. The ceiling is the height. 80 mm will not take a worktop offcut, and the Scheppach HBS261 at £219 gives 130 mm in a similar bench footprint. For flat, long, ordinary timber, this one does the job for £70 less. Pros: Table extends from 300 x 300 mm to 535 x 300 mm, the longest support on a saw at this price; 80 mm cut height and 200 mm throat cover skirting, beading and small boards; A scaled parallel stop and adjustable blade guide come with it; 19 kg, so one person can lift it onto a bench; Seven years of spare parts availability, matching the HBS261 Cons: 80 mm of cut height rules out thick hardwood blanks; The 350W motor is 200W below the HBS261, so deep cuts in oak need a slower feed; £30 more than the Scheppach HBS25, which gives the same 80 mm of cut ### 3. Einhell Electric Bandsaw 250W - Price: £155.98 | Amazon rating: 4.1 from 2,845 ratings | ranked10 score: 8.7/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/einhell-electric-bandsaw-250w - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DBLCY72V?tag=ranked10-21 A escolha segura para quem quer o modelo que meio mundo ja comprou: 2,845 owners rate it 4.1, a mesa inclina de -2° a 45° e a lâmina troca-se sem ferramentas. This is for the buyer who wants proven numbers over headline capacity. 2,845 owners have rated it 4.1, the largest body of reviews of any saw here, and the blade changes without tools. Capacity is 80 mm at 90°, dropping to 45 mm once the table is at 45°, with a 200 mm throughput width. Depth per pound is 0.51 mm per £ at £155.98, so the £119 Scheppach HBS25 gives the same 80 mm of cut for £36.98 less and 100W more motor. What you are paying for is the track record, the tool-free blade change and a table that tilts 2° past vertical for undercut work. If depth is what you want, the £199.98 Lumberjack benchtop gives 115 mm at 90° and a 500W motor. Pros: 2,845 owners rate it 4.1, the largest review base on this page; Table tilts from -2° to 45°, a wider range than the 0° to 45° of the rest; Tool-free blade change on a 1,400 mm blade; 15.8 kg, among the lightest corded bench saws here; Rip fence with double-sided clamping and guide rollers included Cons: 250W is the lowest motor output of any corded saw here; Cut height drops to 45 mm once the table is tilted to 45°; Two years of spare parts availability, against seven for the Scheppach saws ### 4. Scheppach HBS25 Bandsaw - Price: £119.00 | Amazon rating: 4.2 from 264 ratings | ranked10 score: 8.4/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/scheppach-hbs25-bandsaw - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DFC71RZJ?tag=ranked10-21 Para o orcamento mais apertado que ainda quer 350W: 80 mm de altura de corte por 119 £, o melhor rendimento de profundidade por libra entre as serras de madeira aqui. This is the value pick for anyone cutting standard timber. It gives 80 mm of cut height, a 200 mm throat and a 350W induction motor for £119, and nothing here delivers more depth per pound among the wood-cutting saws. Depth per pound is 0.67 mm per £, three times the 0.22 mm per £ of the £398.53 DEWALT and ahead of the £149 Scheppach HBS30 at 0.54 mm per £. The 300 x 300 mm table tilts continuously from 0 to 45°, and ball-bearing blade guides with a double-clamped fence keep long rips straight. The limit is the 80 mm at 90°, so anything thicker needs the Scheppach HBS261 at £219, which takes 130 mm. It runs a single blade speed at 880 m/min, where the HBS261 gives you two. Pros: 80 mm cut height and 200 mm throat for £119, the lowest price of any wood-cutting saw here; 0.67 mm of cut height per £, the best depth per pound of the corded saws on this page; 350W induction motor, 100W more than the £155.98 Einhell; Ball-bearing blade guides and a double-clamped fence as standard; Seven years of spare parts availability; 14.8 kg, the lightest machine here Cons: 80 mm of cut height will not take thick hardwood; 264 owners have rated it, against 2,845 for the Einhell; A single blade speed at 880 m/min, where the HBS261 offers two ### 5. Lumberjack Professional Bandsaw 375W - Price: £313.49 | Amazon rating: 4.4 from 402 ratings | ranked10 score: 8.1/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/lumberjack-professional-bandsaw-375w - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01334FITW?tag=ranked10-21 Uma maquina para oficina caseira a serio: o motor de inducao de 375W faz muito menos ruido do que um motor de escovas e a mesa de ferro fundido de 360 x 320 mm mantem-se plana com madeira pesada. This is for the workshop that cares about noise and flatness. The 375W induction motor drives the wheel through a belt rather than brushes, and the table is cast iron at 360 x 320 mm, which stays true under heavy timber. Two blade speeds, 400 and 800 m/min, cover hard and soft wood, and three bearing blade guides above and below the table hold the blade on line. At £313.49 it is the second most expensive machine here, £113.51 above the Lumberjack benchtop bandsaw at £199.98, which gives 115 mm of cut height and 500W. It weighs 28 kg, the heaviest machine on this page, so plan a permanent spot for it. If a 500W motor and 115 mm of cut matter more than cast iron, the £199.98 Lumberjack does that and leaves £113.51 in your pocket. Pros: 375W induction motor with a belt drive, which keeps the noise down; Cast iron table at 360 x 320 mm with rack and pinion tilt from 0° to 45°; Three bearing blade guides above and below the table; Two speeds, 400 and 800 m/min, for hard and soft timber; Rip fence and mitre guide included, with positive stops at 90° and 45° Cons: 28 kg, the heaviest saw here, so it stays where you put it; £313.49 buys 375W, where the £199.98 Lumberjack benchtop gives 500W and 115 mm of cut; 402 owners have rated it, fewer than a third of the Einhell's 2,845 ### 6. Dirty Pro Tools Band Saw 350W - Price: £109.99 | Amazon rating: 4.2 from 136 ratings | ranked10 score: 7.8/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/dirty-pro-tools-band-saw-350w - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0119JRWHO?tag=ranked10-21 A entrada mais barata numa serra de fita de bancada: 109,99 £ compram 350W, 80 mm de profundidade e 190 mm de largura para curvas e cortes longitudinais pequenos. This is the entry point for anyone testing whether a bandsaw earns its bench space. £109.99 buys a 350W motor, 80 mm of cutting depth and 190 mm of cutting width, and a 6 tpi blade with a BS plug comes in the box. The 300 x 300 mm table tilts to 45° and the blade runs at 1,400 rpm. Depth per pound is 0.73 mm per £, the best of the corded bench saws here, above the £119 Scheppach HBS25 at 0.67 mm per £ and three times the £398.53 DEWALT at 0.22 mm per £. The catch is the 190 mm of cutting width, 10 mm less than the 200 mm throat on the Scheppach HBS25 and 55 mm less than the 245 mm on the HBS261. For short boards and gentle curves that is fine, and it runs a single blade speed at 1,400 rpm. Pros: £109.99, the lowest price here, with a 350W motor and 80 mm of cutting depth; 0.73 mm of cut height per £, the best depth per pound of the corded saws here; Table tilts to 45° for bevel cuts; A 6 tpi blade and a BS plug are in the box, so it runs on delivery; 17.2 kg, light enough to move with one other person Cons: 190 mm of cutting width, 10 mm less than the £119 Scheppach HBS25; 136 owners have rated it, one of the smallest review counts on this page; Single blade speed at 1,400 rpm, where the HBS261 gives two ### 7. DEWALT 20V MAX XR Bandsaw - Price: £398.53 | Amazon rating: 4.8 from 272 ratings | ranked10 score: 7.5/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/dewalt-20v-max-xr-bandsaw - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CYNVGBFH?tag=ranked10-21 A escolha para cortar metal no local de obra: sem fio, motor brushless e 4.8 de 272 compradores, mas vem como bare tool, sem bateria nem carregador. This is the saw for pipe and profile away from a socket. It is cordless and brushless, and at 4.8 from 272 owners it is the highest rated machine on this page, with a variable speed trigger and dial so you can slow the blade for steel. Cut capacity is 3-3/8 inches, which converts to 86 mm, and the motor puts out 535W at 570 SFPM. Depth per pound is 0.22 mm per £, the lowest here, because £398.53 buys portability rather than capacity: the whole tool weighs 4.91 kg. The important catch is the box. It arrives as a bare tool with no 20V battery and no charger, so add that before comparing it with the £169 Scheppach MBS1200, which is corded and cuts 127 x 127 mm with two saw bands supplied. Pros: 4.8 from 272 owners, the highest score of any machine here; 535W brushless motor at 570 SFPM with a variable speed trigger and dial; 4.91 kg and cordless, so it goes to the pipe rather than the other way round; Integrated blade guard for blade life and cleaner cuts; A chip pocket takes the Tool Connect module for tracking on site Cons: 3-3/8 inches (86 mm) of capacity, 41 mm less than the £169 Scheppach MBS1200; Bare tool only: no 20V battery and no charger included; 0.22 mm of cut height per £, the least depth for money of anything here ### 8. Einhell Cordless Band Saw 115mm - Price: £180.00 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 122 ratings | ranked10 score: 7.2/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/einhell-cordless-band-saw-115mm - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C6XZFGF8?tag=ranked10-21 Para tubos e perfis longe de uma tomada: 115 mm de corte e ainda pode montar-se na base fornecida para cortes de meia-esquadria, mas a bateria de 18V e por sua conta. This is for anyone cutting conduit, threaded rod and small profiles on site. It cuts 115 mm, works hand-held, and drops onto the base supplied with it for mitre cuts. It runs on the 18V Power X-Change family, and the blade changes with a quick-release lever and no tools. Depth per pound is 0.64 mm per £ at £180, which is less per pound than the £119 Scheppach HBS25 at 0.67 mm per £ but far more than the £398.53 DEWALT at 0.22 mm per £. The battery is not included, so a pack and charger go on top of the £180. If the machine never leaves the bench, the £169 Scheppach MBS1200 cuts 127 x 127 mm from the mains and comes with two saw bands. Pros: 115 mm of cut, the second deepest on this page behind the 127 mm MBS1200; Works hand-held or on the supplied base for mitre cuts; 0.64 mm of cut height per £, against 0.22 for the £398.53 DEWALT; Tool-free blade change with a quick-release lever, plus an LED work light; 4.6 from 122 owners, the second highest score here Cons: No 18V battery or charger in the box, so £180 is not the full cost; 12.7 kg with the base, which is heavy for one-handed site work; Two years of spare parts availability, against seven for the Scheppach saws ### 9. Lumberjack Benchtop Bandsaw 500W - Price: £199.98 | Amazon rating: 3.7 from 29 ratings | ranked10 score: 6.9/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/lumberjack-benchtop-bandsaw-500w - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CQ5J8N6C?tag=ranked10-21 A maior altura de corte numa bancada: 115 mm a 90° e 65 mm a 45° vindos de um motor de 500W, mas so 29 compradores avaliaram ate agora, o que pede alguma confianca. This is for the buyer who wants depth without spending £300. It takes 115 mm at 90° and 65 mm at 45°, which is 35 mm more than the 80 mm of the £119 Scheppach HBS25 and the £155.98 Einhell. The 500W motor runs at 2,982 rpm, the highest motor speed here, and the 302 x 304 mm worktable tilts from 0° to 45°. Depth per pound is 0.58 mm per £ at £199.98, between the HBS25 at 0.67 mm per £ and the £219 Scheppach HBS261 at 0.59 mm per £. The risk is the record: only 29 owners have rated it, at 3.7, the lowest score on this page. If you would rather buy a proven machine, the £219 Scheppach HBS261 gives 130 mm of cut, weighs 24 kg against 24 kg here and has 1,434 ratings behind it. Pros: 115 mm cut height at 90° and 65 mm at 45°, the most depth under £200; 500W motor at 2,982 rpm, the highest motor speed here; 245 mm throat, matching the £219 Scheppach HBS261; A 1,712 mm blade, long rip fence, push stick and spanner come in the box; Tilting table with a 302 x 304 mm aluminium work surface Cons: Only 29 owners have rated it, at 3.7, the lowest score on this page; 24 kg, so it needs a solid bench and stays there; £199.98 is £19.02 below the HBS261, which gives 15 mm more cut height and 1,434 ratings ### 10. Scheppach MBS1200 Bandsaw - Price: £169.00 | Amazon rating: 4.0 from 191 ratings | ranked10 score: 6.6/10 - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/home/best-bandsaw/scheppach-mbs1200-bandsaw - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B3S4QNWP?tag=ranked10-21 Para cortar tubo, perfil e metal nao ferroso fino: 1200W, 127 x 127 mm de capacidade a 90° e velocidade de lâmina variavel, portatil ou aparafusada a sua propria mesa. Buy this if your work is metal. It cuts 127 x 127 mm at 90° and 127 x 41.5 mm at 45°, runs at variable blade speed, and works either hand-held or bolted to the table and support arm supplied with it. The 1200W motor is the most powerful here, four times the 250W of the £155.98 Einhell bench saw. Depth per pound is 0.75 mm per £ at £169, the best ratio on this page against 0.22 mm per £ for the £398.53 DEWALT, with an LED work light and two saw bands in the box. It is not a woodworking bench saw. The 127 x 127 mm is a square capacity for tube and profile, not a 245 mm throat for resawing planks, and for timber the £119 Scheppach HBS25 gives 200 mm of throat and 80 mm of cut height for £50 less. Pros: 1200W, the most powerful motor here, against 250W on the £155.98 Einhell; 127 x 127 mm at 90° and 127 x 41.5 mm at 45°; 0.75 mm of cut height per £, the best ratio on this page; Variable blade speed and 0 to 45° mitre cutting; Portable or fixed to the supplied table, with an LED work light and two saw bands; Seven years of spare parts availability Cons: It is a metal-cutting machine, so it will not resaw a plank; 191 owners rate it 4.0, the lowest of the Scheppach machines here; Hand-held use means 13.6 kg in one hand while you steady the workpiece ## All 10 compared | # | Product | Max cut height | Throat width | Motor power | Cut height per £ | Price | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Scheppach HBS261 Bandsaw | 130 mm at 90° | 245 mm | 550 W | 0.59 mm per £ | £219.00 | | 2 | Scheppach HBS30 Bandsaw | 80 mm at 90° | 200 mm | 350 W | 0.54 mm per £ | £149.00 | | 3 | Einhell Electric Bandsaw 250W | 80 mm at 90° | 200 mm | 250 W | 0.51 mm per £ | £155.98 | | 4 | Scheppach HBS25 Bandsaw | 80 mm at 90° | 200 mm | 350 W | 0.67 mm per £ | £119.00 | | 5 | Lumberjack Professional Bandsaw 375W | n/a | n/a | 375 W | n/a | £313.49 | | 6 | Dirty Pro Tools Band Saw 350W | 80 mm at 90° | 190 mm | 350 W | 0.73 mm per £ | £109.99 | | 7 | DEWALT 20V MAX XR Bandsaw | 86 mm (3-3/8 in) | n/a | 535 W | 0.22 mm per £ | £398.53 | | 8 | Einhell Cordless Band Saw 115mm | 115 mm | n/a | 18 V | 0.64 mm per £ | £180.00 | | 9 | Lumberjack Benchtop Bandsaw 500W | 115 mm at 90° | 245 mm | 500 W | 0.58 mm per £ | £199.98 | | 10 | Scheppach MBS1200 Bandsaw | 127 mm at 90° | 127 mm | 1200 W | 0.75 mm per £ | £169.00 | ## How much cut height do you actually need? For most home woodworking, 80 mm at 90° is enough, and 115 mm or more only matters if you work with thick blanks. Cut height drops the moment the table tilts. The £155.98 Einhell goes from 80 mm at 90° to 45 mm at 45°, the £199.98 Lumberjack benchtop from 115 mm to 65 mm, and the £169 Scheppach MBS1200 from a 127 x 127 mm square to 127 x 41.5 mm. Measure the thickest piece you plan to feed through before you buy, not the widest. No accessory adds cut height, and a bigger motor on an 80 mm machine will not resaw a 100 mm oak blank. ## Does a higher price buy a deeper cut? No. Depth per pound falls as the price climbs, and the £109.99 Dirty Pro Tools returns 0.73 mm of cut height per pound against 0.22 mm per pound for the £398.53 DEWALT. The sums: 80 mm at £119 is 0.67 mm per £, 130 mm at £219 is 0.59, 115 mm at £199.98 is 0.58, 80 mm at £149 is 0.54, and 86 mm at £398.53 is 0.22. The best ratio here is the £169 Scheppach MBS1200 at 0.75 mm per £, although its 127 mm is a square capacity for metal rather than a height under the blade. The DEWALT also shows how a unit can flatter a number. 3-3/8 inches sounds substantial until you convert it, and 86 mm is 44 mm less than the £219 Scheppach HBS261 and 29 mm less than the £199.98 Lumberjack benchtop, both of which cost far less. ## What does throat width let you cut? Throat width is the gap between the blade and the column, and it decides how wide a board you can turn and how tight a curve you can cut. The cheapest saws here give 190 mm (Dirty Pro Tools) and 200 mm (Scheppach HBS25, HBS30 and the Einhell 250W), while the £219 Scheppach HBS261 and the £199.98 Lumberjack benchtop both give 245 mm. Wide throat matters most for curved work, because the blade can turn inside a bigger circle before the workpiece reaches the column. For straight rips on narrow stock, 200 mm is plenty. ## Corded or cordless for a bandsaw? Corded, if the saw lives on a bench. Cordless, only if you cut pipe, conduit and threaded rod away from a socket. The two cordless machines here are the £398.53 DEWALT, at 4.91 kg, and the £180 Einhell, which cuts 115 mm and mounts on a base so it also works as a small bench machine. Neither includes a battery or a charger, and the DEWALT has a 3-3/8 inch (86 mm) capacity, so it is a portable metal saw rather than a replacement for a workshop machine. ## How much should you spend on a bandsaw? Under £120 buys a working bench bandsaw, £149 to £219 buys a stronger motor and more capacity, and £300 and above buys portability or a cast iron table. The £109.99 Dirty Pro Tools and the £119 Scheppach HBS25 both cut 80 mm. Between £149 and £219 sit the Scheppach HBS30, the Einhell 250W, the MBS1200 and the HBS261, and above £300 the Lumberjack induction saw at £313.49 and the DEWALT at £398.53. The common mistake is buying on watts. A 250W machine with 80 mm of cut height does more useful work than a larger motor on a machine whose table will not fit under your bench, and none of the saws here is short of power for its own capacity. ## What is the best bandsaw for a small workshop? The Scheppach HBS25 at £119, because it weighs 14.8 kg, the least here, cuts 80 mm and takes a 200 mm workpiece for the lowest price of any wood-cutting saw on this page. If you have a fixed bench and want depth rather than portability, the £219 Scheppach HBS261 more than doubles the cut height to 130 mm and adds a 245 mm throat, but it weighs 22 kg and is built to be bolted down. Between them, the £149 Scheppach HBS30 adds a table that extends to 535 x 300 mm, which is the one feature that makes a small saw behave like a bigger one when you cut skirting or shelving. ## What does not matter when you choose one? Motor watts matter far less than cut height and throat width, and the word professional on the box means nothing measurable. Blade shape and colour tell you little, because the blade is a consumable you replace. What does matter is whether bearing guides, a fence and a tilting table are there, since those decide how straight the cuts come out. A push stick and a spanner are worth having in the box, and the £199.98 Lumberjack benchtop includes both along with a 1,712 mm blade. ## Can a bandsaw replace a table saw? No, and the two do different jobs. A bandsaw cuts curves, resaws and handles deep sections by passing the work past a narrow blade, while a table saw rips sheet material straight and fast. Everything here is a bandsaw, so the comparison is between bandsaws: 80 mm of cut height on the £119 Scheppach HBS25, 115 mm on the £199.98 Lumberjack benchtop, and 130 mm on the £219 Scheppach HBS261. If your work is mostly cutting sheet goods to size, no machine on this page is the right tool. If it is curves, joints and thick timber, a bandsaw is the one to own. ## Is a bigger blade always better? No. Blade width and teeth per inch suit different jobs, and a wider blade is not automatically an upgrade. A narrow blade turns tighter curves, which is why a 6.35 mm blade on the £109.99 Dirty Pro Tools handles scroll work that a wider blade cannot follow. More teeth per inch leave a smoother edge in thin material, while 6 tpi clears chips fast in thick timber. Blade length has to match the machine. The smaller 200 mm saws here run 1,400 mm blades, the £199.98 Lumberjack benchtop takes 1,712 mm, and the £219 Scheppach HBS261 takes 1,790 mm. ## What makes a bench bandsaw cut straight? Blade tension, guide bearings and a fence that locks square, in that order. The £119 Scheppach HBS25 uses ball-bearing guides and a double-clamped fence, and the £313.49 Lumberjack puts three bearing guides above and below a cast iron table. On the cheaper machines a scaled parallel stop does the same job with less to adjust. Weight helps too. The heaviest saws here, at 24 kg and 28 kg, resist the vibration that throws a light machine off line in thick timber. ## Does a bandsaw need dust extraction? Yes for anything more than occasional cutting, because a bandsaw makes fine dust that travels. The £155.98 Einhell has a 36 mm extraction connection, and the Draper machines in this price band use a 100 mm outlet with a push stick for safety. A workshop vacuum on a 36 mm port is enough for a bench machine. Clean the tyres and the guide bearings as you go. Dust packed around the guides is what pushes a blade off line long before the blade itself is worn. ## Verdict The best bandsaw here is the Scheppach HBS261 at £219. It gives 130 mm of cut height and a 245 mm throat, more than anything else on this page, and 1,434 owners rate it 4.1. It is not for you if the saw has to be carried, or if you cut pipe and profile: at 22 kg it wants a bench or a stand, and the cordless DEWALT 20V or the £119 Scheppach HBS25 are the right answers there. If money decides, the HBS25 costs £100 less and still cuts 80 mm with a 350W induction motor, at 0.67 mm of cut height per pound. ## FAQ **What is the best bandsaw?** For most home workshops it is the Scheppach HBS261 at £219, which gives 130 mm of cut height and a 245 mm throat that no cheaper machine on this page matches. If you want the most cut for your money, the £119 Scheppach HBS25 cuts 80 mm at 0.67 mm per pound, the best depth per pound of any corded saw here. For metal on site, the cordless DEWALT 20V is the one to look at, but budget for a battery. **How much does a bandsaw cost?** Bench models run from £109.99 to £398.53 among the machines on sale in the UK today, and the best bandsaw for a home workshop usually lands between £119 and £219. You are paying for cut height and throat width rather than for the badge: £119 buys 80 mm of cut, £219 buys 130 mm. **What size bandsaw do I need for a home workshop?** A machine with 80 mm of cut height and a 200 mm throat covers most furniture and joinery work. Move to 115 mm or 130 mm only if you regularly cut thick hardwood blanks. Anything larger is a floor-standing machine and a different budget. **Do bandsaws take up a lot of space?** A bench bandsaw does not. The machines here weigh 14.8 kg to 28 kg and stand roughly 68 cm to 84 cm tall, so one fits on a workbench with about 600 mm of width free. The induction saw at £313.49 is the tallest at 1.4 m overall and belongs on a fixed stand. **What blade do I need for a bandsaw?** For thick timber, 6 tpi clears the chips and cuts fast, while more teeth per inch give a smoother edge in curves and thin stock. Blade length has to match the machine: 1,400 mm on the smaller 200 mm saws here, 1,712 mm to 1,790 mm on the larger ones. Buy two blades so a break does not stop the job. **Can a bandsaw cut metal?** Yes, with a fine-tooth blade and a slower blade speed, which is why the metal machines are built differently from the wood saws. The £169 Scheppach MBS1200 runs a variable speed and cuts 127 x 127 mm at 90° and 127 x 41.5 mm at 45°, and the cordless DEWALT handles pipe and profile on site. Wood saws with one fixed speed are the wrong tool for regular steel work. **Is a cordless bandsaw worth it?** Only if you cut away from a bench. A cordless machine gives you 86 mm to 115 mm of capacity, weighs 4.91 kg to 12.7 kg, and usually arrives without a battery, so add that cost before you compare prices. A corded bench saw returns more depth per pound, with the £119 Scheppach HBS25 at 0.67 mm per £ against 0.22 mm per £ for the £398.53 DEWALT. **How do I stop a bandsaw blade from breaking?** Set the tension as the maker specifies, keep the guides close to the work and do not force the feed, especially in hardwood. A 6 tpi blade in thick timber will snap if you push it faster than the teeth can clear the chips. Most breaks start with the blade wandering, not with the blade itself.